The Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) has agreed to award licenses for mobile sports betting on a rolling basis, in an effort to launch the vertical this year.
SWARC opened applications for mobile sports betting licences on 7 September. The application period will end on 21 October at 5pm.
The application fee is $500,000.
Read the full story on iGB North America
Playtech will put aside any plans to sell off its B2C Snaitech business – at least temporarily – after the business determined that its recent success meant it could deliver more value by remaining part of the group.
Comments on the subject came from Playtech leadership following the business announcing its H1 results, in which revenue was up 73% year-on-year to €792.3m. Revenue from Snaitech specifically almost tripled to €446.0m.
The supplier had reportedly been considering a break-up of its business, including a sale of the Snaitech arm it acquired in 2018, after plans to sell the entire business fell through. The Playtech board approved an offer from land-based slots giant Aristocrat, but shareholders ultimately rejected this deal.
A group called TTB Partners then announced that it was considering a bid of its own, and received support from Playtech chief executive Mor Weizer (pictured). However, amid changing market conditions, TTB ultimately declined to submit a bid for the ga..
The German supreme court for administrative matters, the Federal Administrative Court, has ruled that municipalities will no longer be able to levy a betting shop tax.
A lawsuit had been originally brought about by the bookmakers that operated betting shops in the German city of Dortmund. Since 2014, the city had been levying a municipal tax based on the dimensions of the physical area of the betting shop – which was defined as areas where bets were processed and monitored. The tax was designed to be passed directly onto consumers.
However, in 2017 the Federal Administrative Court ruled that the tax could not be based on the area of the shop, leading to the city rewriting the statute as a 3% stake tax – this was in addition to the federally imposed 5% stake tax for sports betting.
Following this, the Münster Higher Administrative Court allowed an appeal about whether this tax by multiple levels of government was inadmissible due to similarities with taxes imposed under the Lottery A..
Consumers in Colorado wagered a total of $4.82bn on sports during the US state’s 2021-22 financial year.
During the 12-month period, players in the state spent $4.78bn betting on sports over the internet, as well as $59.7m at retail sportsbook facilities across Colorado.
Basketball was the most popular sport among consumers by some margin, attracting a total of $1.20bn in wagers over the course of the year. Football bets amounted to $768.6m and baseball $506.2m, while $872.5m worth of parlay wagers were also placed.
In terms of revenue, total gross gaming revenue from sports betting was $282.6m for the financial year. The majority of this came from online, with this form of betting accounting for $279.6m, while retail revenue reached just $3.0m for the year.
Read the full story on iGB North America.
The constitutional court in the German state of Baden-Württemberg will hear a case from four operators challenging a ban on operating sports betting facilities in the same building as casinos and gaming halls.
Section 21 (2) of Germany’s First State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) prohibits sports betting and casino activities from taking place in the same building.
Germany’s Fourth State Treaty on Gambling came into force in July 2021.
The complaint states that administrative courts did not provide adequate protection for operators that had sports betting facilities in the same building as casino activities, when the GlüStV and, subsequently, section 21 (2) was enacted.
The complaint also cites a lack of temporary protection.
Section 42 (1) of the LGüG – Baden-Württemberg’s state-level gambling act, which was brought in in 2012 – states that gambling facilities must be at least 500 meters apart, measured from entrance door to entrance door.
The complaint will be discussed on 21 Nove..
FanDuel has launched its sports betting offerings in Kansas, in the form of an app as well as a retail sportsbook in conjunction with Boyd Gaming.
Kansas bettors can now place wagers on the online FanDuel Sportsbook, and can download its official app.
Alongside mobile sports betting, FanDuel has also opened a temporary retail sportsbook with Boyd Gaming at the Kansas Star Casino, with the grand opening of the permanent venue at the casino scheduled for 8 September.
The ceremony will see NFL wide receiver Jordy Nelson place the ceremonial first bet.
The retail sportsbook at the Kansas Star will feature four betting windows, 28 HD televisions and 20 self-service betting kiosks.
Kansas has become the latest US state FanDuel’s mobile betting app is live in, after most recently launching in Wyoming and Louisiana in March and January respectively.
Currently, FanDuel has 51% total market share in the US, according to parent company Flutter’s recently released Q2 results.
Last month, Fa..
Caesars Entertainment has announced the launch of its updated sports betting and igaming platform in Pennsylvania and also opened a number of new sportsbook retail locations in Louisiana.
The new-look Caesars Sportsbook & Casino app is available to download in Pennsylvania and offers users improved sports betting and a range of casino gaming options.
Other features include additional ways to deposit funds, faster payouts, live scoreboards, and expanded in-play betting options.
In addition, the app integrates the Caesars Rewards customer loyalty programme that allows players to accumulate points that can be redeemed for exclusive opportunities across Caesars’ gaming, hospitality, entertainment, nightlife, dining and venues.
“Caesars has called Pennsylvania home for quite some time; it’s only fitting that we build upon the legacy of our popular casino and racetrack, Harrah’s Philadelphia, by bringing customers our best version of Caesars Sportsbook & Casino,” Caesars Digital co-presi..
iGB op-ed: Daniel O’Boyle argues that Brazil’s latest crackdown on sponsorship punishes operators that believed they had a clear pathway to launching before the winter.
Five matches into the season, the Premier League – and European club football in general – is well and truly back.
But the big moment of anticipation in the football world this year is still to come, when those domestic leagues will, of course, stop this winter, for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
However excited those in Europe may be, surely no nation can match Brazil in its enthusiasm for the World Cup.
So naturally, the event has long been the circled date on the calendar for the launch of regulated sports betting in Brazil.
Operators had surely hoped that the months in the build-up to the event would be a time to prepare to get their licensed operations up and running, putting the finishing touches in place to take bets on the World Cup.
But instead, it might be close to the exact opposite.
With the opening match n..
Betfred USA Sports has opened its sportsbook at the Silver Reef Casino Resort in Washington.
The sportsbook facility, which will occupy the space formerly occupied by a bar, will include multiple high resolution video walls, sportsbook seating, multiple betting stations and self-serve kiosks alongside food and beverage.
Silver Reef Casino Resort, which is operated by the Lummi Nation, is located between Seattle and Vancouver. It features more than 1,000 slots, 206 hotel rooms and an 18-hole championship golf course.
To read the full article, visit iGB North America.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), an industry body for the UK regulated betting and gaming sector, has announced historic personal bookmaker Fitzdares as its latest member.
Fitzdares, which has operated since 1882, will now work alongside the BGC and its network of members to influence decision-making in the UK industry.
The bookmaker allows customers to place bets via its official app, website, live chat, SMS, email and telephone, while in 2020 it also opened its first “Fitzdares Club” in Mayfair, a venue for members to watch live sport.
Earlier this year, Fitzdares launched its second location in the Cotswolds, complete with an 18-hole golf course.
“As a medium-sized independent and boutique business, we wanted our voice heard,” Fitzdares chief executive William Woodhams said. “The BGC gives us the opportunity to be at the table where the key decisions are being made in UK gaming.”
Fitzdares this year also announced its expansion into the Ontario regulated market, being one ..
Kambi Group has entered into a multi-channel sportsbook agreement with Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in the US state of Arkansas.
Under the deal, Kambi will provide its on-property and online sportsbook solutions direct to the thoroughbred racetrack and casino.
Kambi will support Oaklawn with the launch of its online sportsbook operations under the brand “Oaklawn Sports”, subject to Arkansas passing the relevant laws. Online gambling of any kind is not yet legal in the state.
In addition, Kambi will continue to provide its retail sports betting solution to Oaklawn. The venue has been offering sports wagering through Kambi’s retail sportsbook since last year, with the new, multi-channel deal replacing the existing agreement.
“Oaklawn has been one of the most trusted brands in Arkansas for more than 100 years and we are excited to now offer our loyal customers yet another great amenity with our much-anticipated mobile wagering platform,” Oaklawn general manager Wayne Smith said.
Kamb..
Consumers in New Hampshire wagered $42.7m (£36.3m/€43.0m) on sports in July, the lowest monthly figure since August of last year.
July’s handle was 16.4% higher than $36.7m in July 2021 but 20.3% behind the $53.6m bet by players in June this year, according to figures published by the New Hampshire Lottery.
Of this total, $33.1m was wagered online with DraftKings, while the remaining $9.5m was spent at retail sportsbooks across the US state. DraftKings secured exclusive rights to offer sports betting online via the New Hampshire Lottery in November 2019.
In terms of revenue, gross gaming revenue from sports betting in July amounted to $4.5m, which was 45.2% ahead of $3.1m in the same month last year and only 6.3% lower than $4.8m in June 2021, despite the difference in handle.
Some $3.7m of gross gaming revenue was generated online, while $768,211 came from retail sports betting facilities.
The New Hampshire Lottery also reported that the state was able to generate $2.1m in tax fr..